Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS APO HSM AF Lens (For Nikon) USA

Comments about Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS APO HSM AF Lens (For Nikon):

I have only used the 120-300mm lens for one dance recital so far. It was great. Very sharp and fast focus with lighting changing often. The lens is heavy and I had a Nikon D700 attached so a monopod is needed. I will also use the lens for indoor sports events. I shipped the lens to a friend who tested it and the images were great. He is a very skilled pro photographer and he loved the lens too.

Comments about Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS APO HSM AF Lens (For Nikon):

I bought this Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 lens to extend my focal range further than the Nikon FX f/2.8 Lenses I already had; 14-24mm, 24-70mm, and 70-200mmm. This Sigma lens performs perfectly. It super clear, bright, and accurate. It gives me much more flexibility with its range of 120-300mm than Nikon's fixed focal length 300mm f/2.8 FX lens, which is also much more expensive.
This lens is a great value given its performance.

Comments about Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS APO HSM AF Lens (For Nikon):

I use this lens with a Nikon D3s & D7000, i am really amazed by the quality of pictures it produce it is very similer to me Nikon 70-200 2.8 VR2. The contrast ,colors and SHARPNESS on this lens is very nice. build quality is great. i mainly use it for action & sport photography, the foucs speed is not as fast as my Nikon 70-200 but it is very ACCEPTABLE.

Comments about Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS APO HSM AF Lens (For Nikon):

I use this lens mostly for wildlife, using teleconverters. It is very sharp and stable.With the Nikon D300 it seems you must use Sigma teleconverters, Kenko pro 300's are sharp but will not autofocus. I have ended up using this lens with a 2x Sigma most of the time. It is sharp at 600mm and the autofocus works good enough most of the time, sometimes it hunts for focus a little more than expected. Whith the results I am getting though, I can live with that.

Comments about Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS APO HSM AF Lens (For Nikon):

I was more than impressed with the quality photos this lens produced. While shooting low light, indoor equestrian events, this lens provided extremely sharp photos from day 1. AF was quick and tracking seemed effortless. Unfortunately day two brought about a different story. Out of the blue this lens began to stop down all the way and provide intermittent black frames. I would correct the issue only to have it happen again and more frequently.

I have sent the lens back to B&H and will see what the replacement does. With the initial photos, I am hoping that was just a bad sample. I will adjust stars accordingly!

Comments about Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS APO HSM AF Lens (For Nikon):

From 120-300 at F2.8 is a stroke of genius.
I shoot motorsport and getting close to the action is important but having the flexibility to go between 120mm and 300mm and retaining F-stop is a huge bonus when shooting in variable lighting conditions.
It focuses fast as any of my 'N' lenses and the difference in sharpness is negligible BUT nikon doesnt have a zoom in this range or in this F-stop.
I also use it for wildlife with a 2XTC and it just works incredibly well. It retains contrast and sharpness and just could not be better matched.
It is also well built and yes its heavy. But 300mm at 2.8 are always going to be.

Comments about Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS APO HSM AF Lens (For Nikon):

I use this lens to phootograph our high school band during the halftime show. The lens responds well and took amazing pictures! The down side is the weight. The lens is over 6lbs!

Comments about Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS APO HSM AF Lens (For Nikon):

I purchased this lens in anticipation of shooting airshows and close-in wildlife using a D300 body and replacing my 70-200 & 80-400 VR Nikkors. After several hundred test shots I was unable to obtain clear images, 4 marginal keepers at best. The OS was jumpy and the AF inconsistent.

With over 50 years of experience, my technique is not in question and apparent QC issues within the lens electronics would seem to be the culprit. The mechanics, build and finish of the lens are superb, though. Bad sample, perhaps.

I decided to stick with my Nikon VRs - for now. They are showing their age but both still produce excellent images.

Comments about Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS APO HSM AF Lens (For Nikon):

Wildlife photography made easy and with brilliant quality pictures. Exceptionally good value for money.

Comments about Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS APO HSM AF Lens (For Nikon):

I shoot showjumping. Horses are fast and so is the lens, and very sharp.

Comments about Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS APO HSM AF Lens (For Nikon):

Being the most expensive glass ever purchased and likely to remain so, the decision was long in coming to obtain the new Sigma 120-300 f-2.8. With the majority of work being done with wildlife, the Nikon 80-200 f-2.8 was often considered, but finally deemed lacking the desired reach in relation to the going price.

Initial use shows promise in the less than perfect conditions often experienced when chasing critters choosing to remain in cover. Despite being a weighty beast, in comparison to smaller, variable-aperture zoom lenses more commonly used, some acceptable test shots were obtained using a Sigma 2.0x tele-extender in a handheld mode with OS to see what happened. Given that, it's clear more serious, long-reach work involving tele-extenders will require a mono/tripod.

When using the lens in full 2.8 aperture to image smallish subjects in busy backgrounds, it wasn't surprising to find manual focus being needed at times in working with the shallow depth of field. On the other hand, the auto-focus seems to work well in less extreme circumstances when using single-point mode. The zoom and focus rings are both firm and smooth; a condition one hopes to remain so given what this lens cost.

The bokeh at f-2.8 is more a satisfactory overall background blur than an iris-induced pattern seen on other lenses. Overall image clarity is something left to those more experienced to judge, but seems a noticeable step-up in comparison to smaller maximum aperture zoom lenses in use over the last few years (e.g., Nikon 18-200, 70-300, 80-400).

For anyone more familiar in using less expensive, smaller zoom lenses, the Sigma (weighing in at 6lb, 12oz on a scale) does require time to develop comfort in handling and carting about. Some practice will be spent in dry-land exercises before taking it out in the Everglades aboard a kayak.

The change from filters in the 50-60mm range to 105mm is a substantial one when purchasing them. This is an added cost to be considered when moving up to a lens with such large primary glass.

For those willing or able to foot the expense, this lens fills a gap for Nikon users present in the f-2.8 zoom line. Although I won't hazard any guesses on how dedicated professionals might judge it, I've been equally satisfied and impressed by it thus far.

Comments about Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS APO HSM AF Lens (For Nikon):

This replaces a Sigma 100-300 f4. I do a lot of sports (mainly high school and college lacrosse)and while the 100-300 did a nice job, I was looking for something that was REALLY sharp. This lens is super sharp wide open and the extra stop helps in low light situations.

It focuses almost instantaneously.

The only drawback is that it is heavy but I knew that before I bought it.

I love this lens.

Comments about Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS APO HSM AF Lens (For Nikon):

I have used the first model Sigma 120-300 with Canon and also bought one when I changed to Nikon. But the new OS one is much better and faster than the ones I used before. The autofocus works perfect with my Nikon D3s and also the the color management in automatic color balance mode is much better than before.

Comments about Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS APO HSM AF Lens (For Nikon):

As a pro football shooter, this lens is going to save me time from constantly switching between a 300mm 2.8 prime and a body with a 70-200.

The lens, while not as sharp as the Nikon, is pretty darn sharp. I doubt anyone shown a large print from the opposing lenses could tell a difference at all, I mean, how many of us crop at 100% in our work?

At 300mm I am able to handhold and get sharp images at shutters as low as 1/60 thanks to the optical stabilization.

The autofocus is quiet and fast, and so far has been able to keep up with moving subjects.

The zoom ring is pretty tight, which for me is a good thing, but it may annoy you. One thing that could be improved is the supplied lens hood. Feels like cheap plastic. Other than that, I can't find much negative to comment on.